Selecting multiple items (files, folders, other objects) on a GUI level can be frustrating. For this example, we will be selecting files with names a, b, c, d and so on, to z.

Windows: ctrl-clicking a and z will select the files a and z. Shift-clicking a and z will select all files from a TO z (including a and z).

With the old MacOS 9 (and earlier), shift-clicking would only select the items you clicked. So shift-clicking a and z would only select a and z. There was no command for selecting FROM a TO z.

With OSX, Apple changed this to be more Windows-like. Shift-clicking now select a TO z. When you only want to select a AND z, you command-click them (since ctrl-click is basically a right-click on the Mac).

Today I imported some pictures from my camera, using Tiger’s Image Capture application. All os a sudden, command-clicking didn’t work at all – and shift-clicking was back to OS9-mode, only selecting a AND z.